Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-02-09
The Origin of the Knights.

Mr.. carroll II. Wright, OF new 1ork,
finds time from the discharge Of his dual
duties as federal and State statistician to
contribute to periodical literature interest
ing articles on subjects relating to his
speciality. In the current number of the
the Quarter Journal of Economies he pub
fishes an interesting historical sketch of the
Knights of Labor, which, Mr.. Wright as
sures the public, has been submitted "to
PAST officers aud worthy members of the
order, and by them pronounced true in all
it's statements of fact.'
The inception of the order and the train
ing Of its first apostle are described by Mr..
Wright as follows:
The organization was born ON Thanks
giving day, 1869, in the city of Philadel-
phia, and was the result of the efforts of
Uriah B. Stephens, as the leader, and sig
associates, all garment cutters. For sew
eral years previous to this date the garment
cutters of Philadelphia had been organized
as a trades union. but had failed to main
tam satisfactory rate of wages in their
trade. A feeling of dissatisfaction prevail
ed, which resulted, in the fall of 1863, in
vote to disband the union. Stephens, fore
seeing this result, had quietly prepared the
outlines of plan for an organization en-
bracing call branches of honorable toll, {"
aud based upon education, which, through
cooperation and an intelligent use of the
ballot, should gradually abolish the present
wages system.
Stephens himself was man Of great force
of character, a skilled mechanic, with the
, los, 90 o tn
his studies during his apprenticeship, and
withal strong affection for secret ergani-
cations, having been for many years GEN.
nected with the Masonic order. He was
born Aug. 3, 1891, in Cape May county,
New Jersey. He was the descendant of
some of the oldest settlers of his native
county and came of patriotic stock, his
grandfather on his fathers side having
fallen in one of the battles of the Revelu-
ton. The maternal side, also among the
earliest settlers of the county, were Quak-
ers, and gave 20 the family the stad solid
ity of character and firmness Of purpose for
which it has always been noted. His par
ents. who were Baptists, intended him for
the ministry and his education was partial
ly SHAPED to that end; but, in the great
panic and depression which swept over this
county from 1886 to 1910, the family suf-
fered reveIses, and young Stephens was in
dentured as an apprentice, to learn trade
and acquire a knowledge of mercantile bust
ness. His training as skilled mechanic
furnished the hint that afterward governed
him all through his life.
The proto-apostls of the Knights was,
however, workman with the head rather
than with the hands. He taught school for
a time, and then, being much of a rover,
| wandered through Central America and
along the Pacific coast, and, settling in
| California, devoted himself to schemes for
making money in South America. Going
to Philadelphia, he was finally nominated
for Congress by the National Greenback-
Labor party. From the observation and
philosophy Of his adventurous spirit arose
the constitution of the Knights. Its first
actual organization sprang out of the ashes
Of trade society, Oh an occasion which Mr..
Wright thus describes:
At the last session of the Garment Cut
| ters' Union, and after the motion to disband
had prevailed, Stephens invited the few
members present to meet him, in order to
discuss his new plan of organization. This
meeting was held at the house Of Mr.. Ste
phens, No. 2347 Coral street, Philadelphia,
on the evening of Nov. %, 1869. Stephens
then laid before bis guests his plan of an
organization, which he designated "The
Noble aud Holy Order of the Knights OF
Labor" 1t was new departure in labor
organization. The founder described what
he considered tendency toward large COM
l L. IS al = 4l.z& L
trades union form Of organization was like
bundle of sticks when unbound-weak and
powerless to resist Gem binatiens. The RENE
dies be advocated must come largely through
| legislation aud a process Of education on the
part of wage workers first to fit them prop
/ erly for the work of organization. To this
end, he urged the creation of the local as
sembly as the primary school Of labor
| Stephens great controlling ideas may be
formulated as follows First, that surplus
labor always keeps wages down; aud &C.
eond, that nothing can remedy this evil but
| a purely and deeply secret organization,
based upon plan that shall teach, or rath-
er inculcate, organization, and at the same
time educate its membership to one set OF
ideas ultimately subversive of the present
wages system. Mr.. Stephens associates,
or those who agreed with him to form a
secret society to take the place of the dis
banded Garment Cutters Union, were Jas.
L. Wright, Robert G. Macauley, Joseph S.
| Kennedy, William Cook, Robert W. Keen
and James M. Hilsee. At subsequent
meeting, held Dec. %, 1859, upon the re-
port of a committee on ritual, involving
obligations and oaths, Mr.. Stephens and his
six associates subscribed their names to the
obligations, and, when the ritual was adopt
ed, Mr.. James L. Wright moved that the
new order be named the ''Kpights of Labor"
Immediately there after the ritual of the
order was elaborated, and its name was
kept SO secret that for long time it was
known only as the society of tho three
stars.